Practice areas

Counsel for every chapter of family life.

From the most amicable mediation to the most contested custody trial, we bring the same preparation, the same discretion, and the same willingness to tell you the truth.

divorce

Divorce & Separation

Contested and uncontested divorce handled with discretion and resolve.

Typical timeframe

Uncontested divorces often resolve in 60 to 90 days after filing. Contested matters in Davidson County typically take 9 to 18 months depending on complexity and docket.

From simple uncontested filings to high-asset, multi-jurisdictional divorces, we build a strategy around your priorities: your children, your home, your business, and your peace of mind.

How we handle it

We begin with a thorough financial inventory and a clear priority ranking of your goals. Every negotiation position is backed by Tennessee case law, a defensible valuation, and a frank assessment of what a judge would likely order at trial. We settle when settlement is right. We try when it isn't.

What this covers

Uncontested and contested divorce filings
High-asset property division including businesses, real estate, and investment portfolios
Separate vs. marital property tracing and classification
Offshore accounts and complex financial discovery
Fault-based divorce proceedings
Legal separation agreements
Emergency restraining orders and temporary support

custody

Custody & Parenting Plans

Tennessee parenting plans that hold up in court and at the kitchen table.

Typical timeframe

Temporary orders within 60 to 90 days of filing. Final parenting plans typically resolved in 9 to 14 months in Davidson and Williamson counties.

We draft, negotiate, and litigate parenting plans, relocation petitions, and modifications with a single focus: a workable schedule that protects your relationship with your child.

How we handle it

Tennessee courts use a best-interest-of-the-child standard that weighs fourteen statutory factors. We build a detailed factual record around those factors before we walk into any negotiation or courtroom. Our parenting plans are drafted to be specific enough to prevent future disputes, not so rigid that they break when life changes.

What this covers

Initial parenting plan drafting and negotiation
Primary residential parent designations
Relocation petitions (Tennessee Code 36-6-108)
Parenting plan modifications after material change
Parental alienation documentation and response
Guardian ad litem coordination
Interstate custody under UCCJEA
Emergency custody orders

adoption

Adoption

Stepparent, kinship, and private adoptions handled start to finish.

Typical timeframe

Uncontested stepparent adoptions often finalize in 90 to 120 days. Contested termination cases typically resolve in 9 to 24 months.

We guide adoptive families through home studies, termination of parental rights, ICPC coordination, and finalization, turning a complex legal process into a clear path home.

How we handle it

We coordinate with home study agencies, communicate directly with DCS when required, and track every ICPC deadline so nothing falls between the cracks. In contested termination matters, we build a complete evidentiary record of abandonment or unfitness before filing. Your finalization hearing is the milestone we work backward from.

What this covers

Stepparent adoption (contested and uncontested)
Kinship and relative adoption
Private domestic adoption
Termination of parental rights proceedings
Interstate Compact on Placement of Children (ICPC)
Adult adoption
Post-finalization name change

mediation

Mediation & Collaborative Law

Resolution outside the courtroom when it is the right fit.

Typical timeframe

A full mediation day typically resolves a matter in 6 to 8 hours. Some clients reach agreement in a half-day session. Scheduling is usually within 3 to 6 weeks of intake.

Both of our partners are Rule 31 listed mediators. When litigation is not your first choice, we facilitate honest, structured conversations that often save months of conflict and tens of thousands of dollars.

How we handle it

Both partners hold active Rule 31 listings and have mediated more than 400 family-law matters. When you hire us as mediators, we serve as neutrals and cannot later represent either party. When you hire us as advocates in mediation, we prepare a full brief, coach you on the session, and hold the line on what matters.

What this covers

Divorce mediation (as neutral or as party advocate)
Custody and parenting plan mediation
Post-decree modification mediation
Collaborative divorce with four-way meetings
Support modification negotiation
Business valuation settlement conferences
Pre-suit settlement facilitation

support

Child & Spousal Support

Accurate calculations, persuasive arguments, enforceable orders.

Typical timeframe

Emergency support orders within days of filing. Contested support hearings in Davidson County typically scheduled within 3 to 5 months.

We handle initial support orders, modifications when circumstances change, and enforcement when the other side will not pay. Every number is documented and defensible.

How we handle it

Tennessee uses the Income Shares Model, which looks at both parents' adjusted gross incomes and a state schedule. We document every line of income, account for self-employment and business distributions, and address imputation arguments early. If the other side is hiding income, we know how to find it through discovery.

What this covers

Initial child support calculations (Tennessee Income Shares Model)
Spousal support (alimony in futuro, in solido, transitional, and rehabilitative)
Voluntary income imputation arguments
Support modification after job loss, remarriage, or significant income change
Contempt of court proceedings for non-payment
License suspension and passport restriction enforcement
Income withholding orders

prenup

Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements

Plain-language agreements that protect what matters before it matters.

Typical timeframe

Plan for at least 60 days before the wedding. Rushed agreements raise enforceability questions. We can accommodate tighter timelines when necessary, with full documentation of the circumstances.

Thoughtful prenups and postnups for couples blending families, protecting businesses, or simply choosing clarity. Drafted to be fair, enforceable, and quietly tucked away.

How we handle it

A valid Tennessee prenup requires full financial disclosure, independent counsel for both parties, and adequate time before the wedding. We draft agreements in plain language, coordinate opposing counsel review, and build in the procedural record that makes an agreement hold up if it is ever challenged. We also advise clients reviewing agreements they did not draft.

What this covers

Prenuptial agreements for first marriages and remarriages
Postnuptial agreements after a significant financial change
Business interest and professional practice protection
Inheritance and estate integration clauses
Debt allocation provisions
Sunset clauses and review schedules
Review and counsel for agreements drafted by the other party

modification

Post-Decree Modifications

Life changes. Court orders can change too.

Typical timeframe

Emergency modifications can be filed and heard within days. Standard modification petitions are typically scheduled for hearing within 3 to 6 months.

When a job loss, relocation, remarriage, or change in a child's needs makes an existing order unworkable, we build the factual record that justifies a modification and move the court to act.

How we handle it

Every Tennessee modification requires showing a material change in circumstances since the last order. We document the change carefully, connect it to the statutory factors, and present a proposed modification that is specific and workable. Courts appreciate concrete plans over vague requests.

What this covers

Parenting plan modification after material change
Child support modification due to income change
Alimony modification and termination
Restraining order modification
Name change following divorce
International travel and passport proceedings

protective

Orders of Protection

Immediate protection when safety is the priority.

Typical timeframe

Same-day filings are possible. Ex parte hearings are typically held within 24 to 48 hours of filing. Full order hearings are held within 15 days.

We obtain and respond to orders of protection in Davidson, Williamson, and surrounding counties. Safety comes first. Legal strategy comes immediately after.

How we handle it

We can prepare and file an emergency petition the same day you contact us. We prepare you for the ex parte hearing, accompany you when possible, and follow up for the full order hearing within the statutory window. If you have been served with an order, we respond swiftly to protect your record and your access to your children.

What this covers

Emergency protective order petitions
Ex parte order hearings
Response to protective orders (defense)
Modification and extension of existing orders
Coordination with criminal proceedings
Child custody integration with protective orders

Trial ready, every time

We prepare every case as if it will go to trial. That is why most do not.

When opposing counsel knows your attorney is trial-ready, negotiations move differently. Mercer & Cole has tried contested matters in Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, and Sumner counties. We are comfortable in front of a judge because we have spent years there.

Not sure which fits your situation?

Most family-law matters involve more than one of these areas at once. Bring us your situation and we will tell you exactly where it falls and what your realistic options are.

Request a consultation

Counsel for every chapter of family life.

Divorce & Separation

Custody & Parenting Plans

Adoption

Mediation & Collaborative Law

Child & Spousal Support

Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements

Post-Decree Modifications

Orders of Protection

We prepare every case as if it will go to trial. That is why most do not.

Not sure which fits your situation?

When you're ready to talk, we're ready to listen.